


Twist of Fate

by cherrypoplipgloss



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 9-1-1 on Fox, Abusive Parents, Accidental Voyeurism, Aggressive Eddie Diaz, Alternate Universe, Angst, Bisexual Eddie Diaz, Bisexual Evan "Buck" Buckley, Bottom Evan "Buck" Buckley, Buddie (Relationship), Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Insecure Evan "Buck" Buckley, M/M, Military Eddie Diaz, Mutual Pining, Rough Sex, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Slurs, Smut, Top Eddie Diaz, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-02-22 23:43:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23602276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrypoplipgloss/pseuds/cherrypoplipgloss
Summary: “You getting off?”Buck nearly jumped at the sudden question. When he turned around, he was surprised to see the brunette from earlier. A breathless smile landed on his face.“Uh, yeah. I thought you headed out a while ago.”“Well, I was, but then I figured I owed you something for the guys earlier. I’m Eddie, by the way. Eddie Diaz.” For the first time that evening, the man seemed to share a mutual curiosity.(Bartender Buck & Military Eddie.)
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 242





	1. runaway

**Author's Note:**

> TW: There are a few slurs, so please be mindful!

It was an average Friday night in Salvador for Evan Buckley. The sun was falling, the warm air stuck to his skin, and the nightlife was just beginning to wake up. The town in Brazil was known for its party culture, which is why the twenty-two year old was drawn there in the first place. After his older sister moved out with her new husband, Buck needed a change from boring Hershey, Pennsylvania. With his knowledge in bartending and a lust for adventure, he hopped on a plane earlier in the summer and took off, landing in a bar on the beachside.

  
“Buckley, get another round to table 7.” The owner of the bar made a quick appearance at the tabletop through the crowds of people. He tapped his hand against the slicked wood to pull the young man’s attention away from a blonde on a barstool.

  
“On it.” Buck shot a quick wink at the woman before turning to the large shelf full of various colorful bottles. He wiped away the beads of sweat decorating his forehead with the back of his palm. Working in a tourist town was great for his job and always brought interesting people to meet, but damn, it was hot. If he wasn’t working the graveyard shift, he would’ve grabbed a handful of women and brought them down to the shore only a few yards away to cool off. He pushed the desirable image of himself waist-deep in the water with bikinis on every side to the back of his mind then poured out eight shot glasses on a tray. A large grin remained on his face as he danced through the crowd effortlessly.

  
“Be careful, Johnny, you’re getting close to being cut off,” Buck teased an older gentleman once he reached the table. Johnny was nearly eighty years old yet somehow a regular at their little shack. The man grumbled, causing the rest of the group to burst out in laughter.

  
“Kid, I might as well slap that smirk right off your face,” Johnny finally replied after throwing back a shot.

  
“I don’t think you can move fast enough, grandpa,” Buck beamed. He easily dodged the fist that was thrown at him in good nature. Everyone in the bar loved him and practically saw him as their own son. Not only was he a hard worker who kept their glasses filled, but his heart of gold made it easy to care about each individual. He could name the childhood dog of Maria, a teacher who liked to let loose in the corner, or the dream job of Wilbur, a middle-aged guy who was trapped in an unhappy marriage. The only few people he tried to avoid were the military troops who took over the place every few weeks. Due to Salvadore’s location, the troops would be posted in the town for a few weeks before they were able to head back up to America. It was a cycle that had been spinning long before Buck was hired.

  
“Yo, Evan! Over here, man,” A deep voice interrupted his conversation and almost instantly turned his mood sour. It wasn’t that Buck had any issues with the military, but the guys who stopped by were always undoubtedly assholes.

  
“It’s Buck,” He said sternly as he stepped up to the corner of the bar that was overflowing with uniforms.

  
“Whatever,” The leader of the pack laughed obnoxiously. “What happened to your hair? Wasn’t you blonde or something?”

  
Buck could’ve decked the guy right there simply for the tone of his question. Sure, he was right, but he didn’t appreciate being put on the spot like that. He had dyed his sun-kissed hair to jet black earlier that week due to bad memories piling up every time he saw himself in a mirror. To keep his job, though, he exhaled through his nose and pulled a thin smile.

  
“Yeah, I did. Can I get you anything to drink?”

  
“Makes you look more like a twink!” Another uproar of laughter smacked Buck like a brick wall. That word sent a bullet through his chest. All of the air rushed out of his body and his brain began to fog over.

  
“Look like a w-what?” He stammered.

  
“You stupid or something? I called you a twink!”

  
“I-I’m not…” Handling messed up guys was part of the job description, but he’d never been hit with a word meant to be a slur. It brought back his old life, the life where he had to hide under the bed every time the door opened in the middle of the night. Every time the walls shook from those damned heavy footsteps, he had to brace himself for the oncoming palm. Twink. That’s what he would be called along with any other slur under the sun. It only took one incident to set off a rage in the man he tried desperately to forget.

  
“He’s probably retarded.” Another crude statement violently pulled Buck from his downward spiral. He blinked once as the scene came back into view.

  
“Does using slurs make you feel better about yourself, Lee?” An unfamiliar voice peaked over the mountains of laughter and easily shut down the amusement. It fell silent as the leader, Lee, turned around to the back of the group of tables. Buck’s eyes followed the path and landed on a guy, maybe a few years older than him, with a mess of brown hair and a few empty beers next to him.

  
“What’d you say?” Lee snapped, genuinely surprised that someone stood up to him.

  
“I said,” The mysterious guy cleared his throat then stood up. He wasn’t necessarily taller than the others, yet his confidence towered theirs. “I’m calling you out on your shit. Go back to the barracks before the sergeant finds you passed out in a puddle of your own puke.”

  
“You little-“ Lee attempted to tackle the brunet but he was stopped by a couple of others. After a few moments of yelling, they finally stumbled out of the door, all but the one in the back corner. Buck couldn’t do more than stand and stare. Out of all the troops that had swept through the dingy bar, he hadn’t seen anything like that. All of the drama happened within a couple of minutes and barely grabbed the attention of the other patrons. When he finally had enough footing to let out a weak chuckle, he started to grab the empty bottles.  
“Do you want another?” Buck asked the unknown man, letting his eyes linger a little too long.

  
“Nah, I think I’m good for the night,” The guy sighed then finished his last beer in one sip. To his own surprise, Buck was a little disappointed. There was something about the stranger that kept him hooked. He nodded slowly, glancing at the blonde woman he had left on one of the stools. Maybe he’d be able to entertain himself with her until the end of his shift. Sure, she wasn’t alluring or nearly as mysterious as the guy, but she was a safe option. It would be the same routine as always. Talk her up throughout the night, ask if she wants to go watch the sunrise over the ocean, then bring her into the abandoned lifeguard tower just long enough to relieve himself. It was practically second nature at this point. For some reason, though, it suddenly felt lackluster.

  
“Just let me know if you need anything,” The black-haired man finally muttered. His feet begrudgingly shuffled across the wooden floor, pushing loose piles of sand around all the way to his spot behind the counter. The girl didn’t hesitate to pounce on him with her words. He tried his best to return the energy, but his mind remained on the one military man he didn’t actively hate.

  
The next four hours went by painfully slow for Buck. It felt as if Father Time was playing a sick joke on him, dragging out the shift every time his thoughts wandered away. It was two in the morning and there were still plenty of people in the bar. They were one of the few places that were open all hours of every day, and the city people always took advantage of it. The blonde girl was still one of the patrons and was struggling to stand at this point. Buck had to help her get to the bathroom stall before she threw up on the floors that he would’ve had to clean. Instead of holding her hair back, he grabbed a rag from the closet and started wiping down the empty tables. A part of him considered wiping himself down as the humid air clung to every part of his body. While he was leaning over the last table, a familiar voice spoke up.

  
“You getting off?”

  
Buck nearly jumped at the sudden question. When he turned around, he was surprised to see the brunette from earlier. A breathless smile landed on his face.

  
“Uh, yeah. I thought you headed out a while ago.”

  
“Well, I was, but then I figured I owed you something for the guys earlier. I’m Eddie, by the way. Eddie Diaz.” For the first time that evening, the man seemed to share a mutual curiosity. Buck shook his head.

  
“You don’t owe me anything at all. You can’t control them.” The last thing the bartender expected was to receive something from Eddie. He was used to tough guys coming in and verbally roughing him up then crawling back out. No one had apologized before, let alone offered something to make up for the trouble. Eddie scoffed quietly and his lips pulled into a small smirk. He leaned his weight against the wall. His thumbs slid into his front pockets, letting the natural arrogance flow without any restraints.

  
“What, you have plans or something?” He asked, amusement riddled in his expression.

Buck’s cheeks flared up like the night sky on the fourth of July. He chuckled nervously, a hand motioning towards the opposite end of the building.

  
“Yeah, actually, I’m-“

  
“Pretty sure she’s taking a rain check,” Eddie interrupted. Buck whipped his head around to see the blonde rubbing up on Maria. The tan stranger struggled to keep the smirk from growing into a laugh. Buck rolled his eyes and started making his way to the utility closet to return the rags with Eddie right on his heels.

  
“Come on, just for a little bit.”

  
“Why does it matter so much?”

  
“Because.”

  
“Because why?” Buck never faltered on his quick responses. That was one thing Maddie hated, how stubborn he was in arguments.

  
“Because I want to.” Eddie let out a sharp exhale. “Fuck, are you always this difficult?”

Buck practically slammed the door to the closet as he turned around to face him, not realizing how close the man was until the last second. Their chests were barely inches apart. It felt like they were taking in the same breaths. Buck’s eyes scanned over Eddie’s face, taking in all of the tiny details. Small scars decorated the entirety of his rough skin, darkened bags sat under his eyes, and fine lines added to every expression. The guy looked exhausted, more worn for his age, yet he still wore a smile. Buck pressed his lips together.

  
“Fine.”

  
“Fine?”

  
“Yeah, fine,” Buck repeated as he tossed his name tag into the bucket they kept behind the counter. “Don’t know where you want to go, though. It’s two in the morning, everything’s closed.”

  
“Even the beach?” Eddie hummed, clearly enjoying the argument he was winning. His lips stayed put in a thin smirk as he followed Buck towards the back of the building.

  
“The beach?” Buck immediately asked while grabbing his phone and keys from his cubby. It was known around town that the shoreline was the place to bring someone for a romantic evening. As soon as the sun went down, the sex-crazed couples would practically rush to grab a spot in the sand. Hell, if one didn’t get there quick enough, they’d be stuck listening to the moans of others. Buck figured that Eddie didn’t know the unspoken rule, though. He was a tough army guy who probably wouldn’t be caught dead at a shore of seduction with another man.

  
Eddie let out a genuine laugh. “Jesus, man, you really are deaf. Yes, the beach. Let’s go.” Before Buck had any time to protest, Eddie started making his way towards the door.


	2. not a lifguard

Buck practically ran out onto the street to catch up with him. The man was determined. Stubborn, even. When Buck finally reached him, Eddie was humming some sort of a tune while swaying back and forth, lost in his own little world. Buck noticed himself staring at the awe-filled expression on his face and mentally cursed himself. He couldn’t help it, though, there was something so hopeful and relaxing in the reflection of rainbow lights in Eddie’s eyes. He had never seen anything like it. 

One thing Salvador was known for was its beautiful setup. Thin roads, tall and colorful buildings, canopies, and string lights, it all felt like some sort of festival. Buck wasn’t caught up in the beauty of it like Eddie, though. After a few months of living there, things lose their glamour. Now, all Buck knows is what’s in the shadows between each building and canopy, but he wasn’t thinking about that now. He was too busy focusing on the strange man that had forced him to hang out. 

“What’re you humming?” Buck asked once he was right next to him. Eddie chuckled, a wide grin settling on his lips. 

“Something we used to sing while we were on the field. It was supposed to help us keep our calm, like a type of mantra, but it was so cheesy that we just made fun of it.” Without missing a beat, Eddie returned to the song. He was weirdly content, nothing compared to the brawling idiots in uniform that usually showed up at the bar. 

“You actually went out and fought?” That was the only question Buck could think of in the whirlwind of mystery. Eddie slowed his pace, losing a bit of his positivity. 

“What, you think I just kicked back in some bumfuck country and got my comp checks?” 

“No, not at all!” Buck instantly regretted asking. The last thing he wanted was to offend anyone, let alone Eddie. “Just a lot of the guys I've dealt with talk about how easy it is. I’m just surprised, that’s all. I’ve never met someone who was in the middle of it.” 

“Guess I’m different from the guys you usually hang out with, then,” Eddie replied. Although his smile didn’t stretch from ear to ear anymore, it still remained, this time with something that Buck couldn’t quite place. 

“No shit,” Buck mumbled to himself. He refrained from letting out a bitter laugh. He had no clue what he was doing out there with him. Eddie wasn’t a friend. Sure, he was kind and seemed like a lot of fun, but this felt different than two pals hanging out. There was turmoil in Buck’s chest, the same one he would get when he was talking up his women for the night. It was impossible. There was no way in hell he found Eddie attractive, or at least that’s what he told himself. He was into women, end of the story. 

"What'd you say?" Eddie stopped in his tracks as he turned to face Buck, who nearly crashed into him. Buck's face lit up with bright red and quickly came to resemble a siren of a firetruck. 

"I just meant...Like," He couldn't find the words to explain. Panic was settling into his body the longer he stared at Eddie's tough expression. He didn't like making people mad, especially people who could knock him out at the speed of light. His shoulders curved the slightest bit and he leaned back as if he was preparing himself to take a blow. "Sorry," Buck eventually said with a wince. 

Eddie broke out in an unexpected fit of laughter. 

"Dude, I'm just messing with you," He beamed as he pushed against Buck's chest, causing him to stumble back a few steps. His brain was still blinded by the confrontation, even if it was fake. 

"Oh, uh, yeah. I know," The raven-haired bartender was instantly smacked with embarrassment that replaced the fear in his chest. It felt like he couldn’t catch a break with this mysterious army man. 

"Clearly," Eddie commented sarcastically before turning back around to continue his path. 

—

They arrived at the beach after a few minutes of silence. There were already a few couples there, but it wasn't as crowded as Buck expected it to be. He took a seat in the sand and expected Eddie to do the same. To his surprise, though, the man was tearing off his shirt. Buck choked on his breath, sending his focus down to the ground. 

"Are you okay?" Eddie asked with a chuckle and a hint of sincere worry.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been jumpy since we left the bar. You think I'm going to hurt you or something?" Buck knew it was only a matter of time before he got called out for his erratic behavior. There wasn’t any simple way to explain it, so he foolishly hoped Eddie wouldn’t notice. It never happened when he was with girls or his coworkers. There were only two other times he experienced the same type of anxiety, but he refused to put the pieces together. 

“We were testing new recipes today at work, so I’m probably a little buzzed,” Buck lied. 

“Yeah, I’m pretty drunk too.” A small exhale of relief left his mouth when Eddie nodded understandingly then returned to stripping. Buck’s mind immediately forgot all worries as his jaw fell slack at the sight of his body. The brunet was practically a model between the tight muscles and perfect tan. There was a fairly new scar on the side of his abdomen and a few other imperfections spread sporadically, including what looked to be a healing gunshot wound, but none of it took away from the pure attractiveness. The moonlight seemed to know exactly where to shine against his body as if they already had some written agreement. Eddie first took off his shirt, then his socks and shoes, and took hold of his belt. 

“Are you not going to swim?” As his fingers moved slowly against the zipper, Eddie pulled Buck out of his trance. The blonde had to take a second to process the question. It didn’t help that the man was maintaining intense eye contact while pulling the waistband of his jeans down his thighs. 

“People don’t really swim here.” 

“And why’s that? It’s water, right?” 

“Well, yeah, but this beach is usually used for...other things.” Buck allowed his voice to trail off towards the end. He desperately wanted to look away from him, but it was like his focus was chained to him. A warm churning sensation began to grow in his lower stomach the longer he stared at him. He wanted to slap himself for allowing his body to react in such a way, but he was too caught up in the trance to break free. 

“Other things like what?” Eddie kept pushing as he pulled the pants down to his ankles. All that remained on his body was a dark pair of boxers. Despite it being close to pitch black outside, there was still a noticeable lump in the center of the fabric, and Buck was starting to lose control just from one glance at it. Eddie grinned with obvious amusement.

“You know,” Buck said while clearing his throat. He was practically screaming the words ‘ _you like women’_ in his mind at this point. 

“Maybe I do,” Eddie crouched down so he was eye level with the bartender, “and maybe I just want to hear you say it.” His tone had turned into something devilish and it was accompanied by a teasing smirk. 

“They have sex.” Buck whispered breathlessly, taking a beat to glance down at Eddie’s boxers. There were only inches between them and the man had put him under his spell. A part of him wanted to lean in, close the small space and give into the heat in his chest, but the memories of the other two times he was physical with a man held him in place. 

“So people just come down here to fuck?” Eddie repeated slowly, hitting the ‘k’ harder than any other sound in his sentence. His irises were blown with lust dancing around them. Buck nodded, anticipating what was going to happen next. 

The moment ended abruptly as Eddie popped up, any trace of sexual tension gone. “Interesting.” Buck struggled to catch his breath afterwards. He noticed the man didn’t show any physical signs of interest. His own dick, however, was pulsing against the fabric of his briefs. He told himself the location was turning him now, not Eddie. He had hooked up here more times than he could count and his appendages were just relying on habit. He didn’t take into account the swirl of thick red that swirled in his vision, nor the hair standing up on the back of his neck. He definitely didn’t even notice the intrusive image of what Eddie would look like without the boxers, and especially not the thought of how good the man’s hands would feel pressing against his body as he whispered sweet nothings into his ear. He was into women, _not_ him. 

“If I drown, it’s your fault.” Eddie shot him a wink then took off running towards the water before Buck could stop him. He sat for a minute, completely stunned at Eddie’s behavior. It wasn’t like any friend he had before, let alone any army guy. The tightness in his pants slowly eased up while his breathing evened out. He watched Eddie dive into the relaxed waves and come back up, shaking the water droplets out of his hair. The water went up to just above his waist but left enough space for his defined v-line to be out in the moonlight. Buck had to catch his breath just to slow his beating heart. 

Fuck. 

Eddie Diaz _was_ hot, no matter how hard he tried to deny it.

His eyes stayed glued on the man in the ocean for what felt like forever. Every move Eddie made felt intentional like he knew he was putting on a show for the young bartender. The only thing that pulled Buck out of the trance was watching him slip and sink into the water. 

“You’re shitting me,” Buck groaned. He waited a moment then stood up when he came to the stressing conclusion that Eddie was, in fact, drowning. Not a second was wasted as he peeled off his own clothes and took off running towards the ocean. “Diaz? Diaz!” He yelled once he was into the pitch-black water. 

“Don’t call me Diaz.” Water suddenly splashed against Buck’s bare back, causing him to jump. Maniac laughing ensued when he rubbed the salty ocean out of his eyes and he quickly realized it was Eddie who attacked him with a wave. 

“I thought you were dying, you ass,” Buck threw water back in his direction while trying to bite back the genuine laughter climbing up his throat. Eddie grinned and began closing the gap between them. He refrained from splashing but continued the teasing.

“Yeah? And, what? You were going to save me?” There was that damn tone again, the one that sent chills down his spine. Buck chuckled nervously in an attempt to hide his flustered behavior. Eddie raised an eyebrow as if daring him to continue. “Didn’t know you were a lifeguard, too.” 

“I-I’m, uh, I’m not,” Buck stuttered. His eyes glanced to the right, avoiding eye contact. “I just don’t like people dying on my watch.” 

“A true hero,” Eddie huffed with mirth. Buck couldn’t see well in the shadows, but he swore he saw the man’s brown eyes look him up and down. The air seemed to gain a hundred pounds as the silence continued. Buck wasn’t sure what to do. If this was a night out with his friends, he would’ve suggested going out to a bar and picking up some chicks, but this was out of his comfort zone in the most comforting way. Fortunately, the moment only lasted for a few more minutes before there was a mutual agreement to head back up to the shore and head over to the wall of rocks at the back of the sand. 

__

Eddie spread himself out along a flat stone, allowing the brisk night air to dry the droplets off of his body. Buck sat on the rock next to him and sat with his knees tucked into his chest since he wasn’t sure if he was comfortable displaying his almost-naked body like that. 

“So, Evan,” Eddie finally spoke up after a long period of silence. 

“Buck.” 

“Right, Buck,” He rolled over onto his side and smiled with his head propped up on his hand. “What’s your story?” 

Buck sputtered out a laugh of genuine shock. “My story? I don’t have a story.” He had yet to find the reason why the brunet was so intrigued by him. He was just a boring, run-of-the-mill bartender at a tourist spot; that was his identity and he’d never been asked for more of his background. He had barely known Eddie six hours yet he was already asking more than what his friends did. 

“Everyone’s got a story,” Eddie protested. 

“Everyone except for me, I guess,” The blonde answered half-heartedly while keeping his eyes up in the stars. “I moved here at the beginning of summer from Pennsylvania after my sister got married and left us.” His short explanation received only a frustrated groan from Eddie. 

“One day, you’re going to be begging to tell me all about you, mark my words.”


	3. a scoundrel pirate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *TW anxiety attack!
> 
> also idk how to do the dedication thing BUT this is for Jayne who will hopefully see this soon <3 ilysm and I hope you feel better.

“Buckley?” A soft voice worked its way into Buck’s head. He incoherently mumbled in his sleep as he curled up on his side. The hard surface of the rock wasn’t comfortable, and it was starting to force him out of the relaxed state. He didn’t remember falling asleep mid conversation with Eddie yet he’d have to admit it was probably the best night he’d had in a long time.

“Buck,” The voice repeated. This time, Buck opened his eyes in annoyance and sat up. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon and the beach was completely empty besides the two of them and whoever had the audacity to wake him up. At first he was confused as to who would bother them this early, but when he saw the frail elderly woman standing next to him, he wasn’t surprised. 

“Jannie,” He groaned, rubbing his eyes. “What the hell?” 

“Sergeant Grant’s shift is starting soon. You might wanna get outta here with your boyfriend before-“ 

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Buck hissed as his focus darted to the knocked out brunet to make sure he didn’t hear the accusation. 

“And I’m not old!” Jannie cackled louder than Buck wanted her to. “Seriously, though, I’m surprised to see you with a guy instead of a girl. Usually it’s a girl.” Buck wanted to yell at the old lady to go away before she exposed him to Eddie, but he could never. Jannie was Johnny’s older sister and they both treated Buck like their grandchild. While Johnny was a reckless drunk with good humor, Jannie was a wacky soul who spent all of her time picking up trash at the beach. They had been one of the few true support systems he had in Salvador since his first night in the city. The only problem was that neither of them had much of a filter, which was a loaded minefield when Eddie was around.

“We didn’t-“ 

“We didn’t what?” 

And there it was; Eddie was awake. 

“Oh, um, nothing.” Buck struggled to find an answer while on the spot. With a sigh, he added, “Eddie, this is Jannie, a crazy old bat who likes to harrass me.”

Jannie popped him on the side of the head with a skinny hand covered in gaudy jewelry before turning to face Eddie with a grin. “He’s just sensitive. Anyways, I better get going. The two of you should skedaddle before Grant catches you naked on the beach.” She turned on her heel and started walking towards the shore with a handful of trash bags. She paused, then turned around. “Buck should know a thing or two about getting caught by the Sergeant,” The woman laughed hysterically and went back to her route. 

There was a painfully long pause.

“That isn’t some MILF situation, right?” Eddie asked quietly, keeping his stare on the elderly lady who was now skipping. 

“Ew! No! Jannie is like my grandma.” Buck gagged at the insinuation. “She’s Johnny's sister. You know, the old guy from the bar.” Fortunately, Eddie nodded understandingly instead of continuing the hookup comments. Even as a self-titled sex addict, Buck couldn’t believe there was a second that someone thought he was having sex with Jannie of all people.

“And Grant? Is he...?” 

“Evan Buckley, that better not be you up there on those damn rocks!” A female voice ripped through the air like a shower of darts.

“That would be  _ her _ . Come on, let’s go!” Buck jumped to his feet and slid into his clothes while Eddie did the same. The cop had barely made it to them before the two took off running towards the city, unable to control their laughter. They easily navigated through the empty and narrow streets, taking every shortcut possible to lose Sergeant Grant. 

“What the hell did you do to her?” Eddie asked as he quickly grabbed Buck’s arm to switch directions down a hill. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Buck said breathlessly. Eddie gave him a look as if to tell him to stop bullshitting him, causing him to continue. “Nothing except getting caught fucking on the beach more than a couple of times. Athena likes to run a tight ship and I’m a...a scoundrel pirate, I guess.” He beamed at the similarity while Eddie nearly fell over from laughing at the ridiculousness. Once they reached the normal roads, they were able to slow down some. Athena was nowhere in sight. 

“So, what’s wrong with me, then?” 

“What?” Buck whipped around to make sure he saw his visible confusion. They had found their way into a thin alleyway about ten minutes after their first steps. 

“You sleep with everyone there, so why not me?” Eddie smiled innocently and Buck couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. He started to mumble out an incoherent answer, but was cut off by the same powerful voice from earlier.

“Good question,” Athena turned the corner, pulling her sunless down the brim of her nose. Buck exhaled into a wide, yet fake, smile. 

“Athena!” He said, dragging out her name. “I totally didn’t see you there. How’re you doing?” Eddie pulled his palm up to his mouth to stifle a laugh. Athena, however, was less than pleased. She crossed her arms and continued. 

“What’s your name, kid?” 

“Eddie Diaz, ma’am,” He replied while still trying to hide his smile. 

“Diaz and Buck. Glad to know we have another wild card here in town. Buck, you know the drill. Go see Bobby for your community service and bring Eddie with you.” Sergeant Grant was more exasperated at the two boys than anything else. Every time Buck was caught with indecent exposure, she made him work at her husband’s restaurant for the day since there was no point in fining him and the work was a win-win situation. It gave Buck another opportunity to learn about consequences and it gave Bobby an extra pair of hands, well, two pairs of extra hands this time around. “I’ll see you later, Buckaroo.” 

“You too, Mrs. Grant,” Buck said as she walked back out of the alley. He sighed. “Sorry.” 

“Are you kidding me? Buck, this is the most fun I’ve had in years! Between the military and Shannon, I haven’t been able to just screw around.” 

Buck’s smile faltered slightly. “Shannon?” Of course, he had a girlfriend. The guy was hot, entertaining, down to earth- who wouldn’t want to swoop him up? It doesn’t matter, though. Buck didn’t care. He wasn’t into guys, so he shouldn’t care if Eddie had a girl back home. 

“Um...” Eddie seemed to be just as uncomfortable as him. “No one, really. I just misspoke. Anyways, should we go clean up somewhere then head over to Bobby’s?” 

Buck was the slightest bit irritated at his response. If Eddie had someone, he should just be honest about it. He couldn’t describe the feeling in his chest. It wasn’t anger but it wasn’t sadness. He couldn’t stop himself from wondering who this ‘Shannon’ was. Probably a bitch, anyways, from how Eddie was making her sound. “Yeah, sure. We can head to my place for a bit.” 

—

Buck’s small house at the other side of the beach was nothing to marvel at. It was more of a bungalow rather than a living space. He had bought it for cheap from one of the patrons at the bar who had since moved away and it became his new project to work on whenever he wasn’t working, flirting, or fulfilling his community service. The space that was once filled with small rooms was opened up into a studio area with only one private room for the bathroom. Lots of greenery and sunlight covered the entire house, but there were barely any personal items. The only thing that made this place his was a tiny photo album on the tv stand that only had pictures of him and Maddie. 

“She’s kind of cute. Girlfriend?” Eddie asked as soon as his eyes fell on it. He snatched it up before Buck could protest and started flipping through the pages. Buck rolled his eyes. 

“Why do you think I’m into every woman?”

“You didn’t answer the question, Buckley,” Eddie looked at him through his eyelashes. His tone made it sound vaguely of a threat, as if he was dying to know, but Buck tried to ignore the sincerity in his voice. 

“She’s my sister.” Buck could nearly see the wave of relief that crashed into the soldier. After a few beats of quiet, he moved to stand behind Eddie’s shoulder to look at the photos with him. A small smile crept on his face as he relived the memories. Eddie obviously didn’t know about the details, but the corners of his lips pulled up when he glanced over and saw how happy Buck was at the thought of the past. 

When they reached the last page, Eddie put it back on the table. “Do you have one of your parents, too?”

“No,” Buck replied a little too quickly. 

“Bad stories there?”

“You could say that,” He huffed. The bright moment they had just shared was already gone and replaced with feelings of fears and resentment at the man who terrorized him and the woman who never stopped it. 

“What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

  
  


Eddie mumbled something in response but Buck’s ear was flooded with thumping blood trying to push out the painful memories. His heart pounded against his chest and he felt near the point of passing out. There wasn’t any air going into his lungs, or at least that’s what it felt like. Within an instant, an overwhelming sense of danger cascaded his body and his fight or flight was kicked in. 

“Uh, I-“ He shut his eyes for a brief second and shook his head. “I’m gonna go shower. Make yourself comfortable.” Before Eddie had the chance to say anything, Buck ran off to the bathroom. He slammed the door shut and stumbled over to the sink. His hands gripped at the edge of the counter. 

It had been his longest amount of time he had gone without an attack, but now that was ruined. 

“You’re fine, Evan. Knock it off. You’re a man and men don’t cry.” The words that he heard from his father all throughout his childhood fell out of his mouth. He looked up and made teary eye contact with his reflection. Red rings settled around his eyes, his cheeks were flushed, and his lips were drier than ever. He stepped his feet back to stretch out his calves in an attempt to feel anything other than the anxiety attack. Sticking to a pattern, Buck forcefully pushed air out of his body and tried his best to fill back up his lungs. 

His father lurked in his mind. That fucking hand pulling back and lunging forward, the pathetic look from his mom’s tired face in the corner of the room as Buck cried for help, it all felt like a reality again. 

The only thing that snapped Buck out of the moment of panic was a knock at the door. 

“Buck, you good, man?” Eddie asked from the other side. He was suddenly back in his bathroom again instead of his childhood home. Buck sniffled and rubbed the heel of his palms against his eyes, getting rid of any remaining tears. He cleared his throat then responded. 

“Yeah, yeah I’m good.” 

“You sure? You sound...not good.” Buck wasn’t sure how to react. He never had someone help him before, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let Eddie of all people see him like that. He decided to pull on the handle in the tub to start the shower with a shaking hand. 

“I’m fine!” Buck yelled over the sound of rushing water echoing in the room. “Just a leaky faucet!” He didn’t, or maybe couldn’t, hear Eddie say anything else, which he was thankful for. He didn’t need the guy to talk with him, help him work it out, or whatever normal people did to handle panic attacks. He just needed a hot shower with some deep breathing. By the time he stepped under the shower, his hands were settling down and the painful thumping in his ears had faded. 

__

An hour passed and Eddie was just stepping into the bathroom for his own time to get cleaned up. Buck was back to normal, almost as if nothing happened, and he had to reassure Eddie more than once that everything was fine. He’d have to admit that he didn’t expect him to be so caring. Sure, he stood up for him as a stranger, but his behavior on the beach only a few hours ago gave him a completely different understanding of his personality. 

The sound of water had been echoing through the bungalow for a few minutes when Buck realized he left his phone in the bathroom. He debated just waiting, but he figured Eddie would be covered by the curtain and he would be in there for just a second anyways. 

“Eddie?” Buck knocked. “Eddie, I forgot my phone!” 

No answer. He sighed. 

“Okay, I’m coming in.” He wasn’t sure who he was talking to since Eddie couldn’t hear him in the shower and that quickly became a glaringly obvious fact when Buck opened the door to see the man standing at the counter, naked and cock in his hand. Only a sliver of him was visible, yet it was enough to hypnotize the bartender. His hand moved up and down his dick as his head dropped backwards and teeth bit into his lips to restrain a moan. Buck had to close his eyes and breathe to control the raging boner that suddenly appeared. This time, he didn’t have an explanation for the velvety heat swirling deep in his stomach. No excuses, no reason why he was turned on other than a guy in front of him. A part of him started to freak out again, but he didn’t have enough time to overthink it because Eddie’s eyes opened and saw the accidental voyeur in the mirror. 


	4. rainbow shoes

Buck was too distracted by the impressive cock to notice how Eddie’s hand hesitated or how his feet shifted so his entire front body was visible, not just his profile. The blonde couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sexual act and his thoughts maintained the same energy. His imagination ran wild like he was a horny teenager again. He thought of what it would be like to join the man, to rip off his clothes, and slide in the shower like it was something that came naturally to them. He was sure Eddie’s dick was the biggest he’d ever seen and the quiet, deep moans coming from his lips only made it more entrancing. The dark part of his mind started to feel around the idea of him having that same dick buried deep inside of him, pounding in and out like some sort of machine. It made his own boner throb and leak with joy, which both scared and excited him. Buck was drowning in unfamiliar lust. His hand subconsciously went to grasp his cock after what felt like hours of him witnessing probably the hottest thing he’d seen in years.

“Buck,” Eddie breathed heavily, keeping his eyes on the blonde that was too busy watching his hand move back and forth. He cleared his throat and, against all of his impulses and desires, let go of his dick. “Buck,” Eddie repeated sternly. 

“Uh,” Buck snapped out of his trance and nearly passed out from the embarrassment. What kind of freak sat and watched their new friend masturbate? Shame coated him like a layer of honey; thick, heavy, and impossible to get off. A shade of red flared over his entire face. “I- um, I just, uh. Phone. Sorry.” As he stuttered through a weak excuse and pretended that nothing had just happened, he reached in to grab his cell from the counter. He felt Eddie’s eyes on him the entire time like a predator watches its prey and he prayed he didn’t notice the raging boner begging to break out of his shorts. Buck slammed the door the second he had the phone in his hand and a long breath escaped his lips. What the hell was wrong with him?

__

  
  


By the time they were both finished getting ready, it was fifteen minutes till noon. Buck had thrown on some tacky pink shorts with a white shirt while Eddie simply wore his plainclothes from the night before. 

“How far away is Bobby’s place?” Eddie asked as Buck locked up his bungalow. Neither of them had said anything about the incident in the bathroom. The blond wasn’t sure how Eddie felt about it, but he surely wasn’t about to bring it up. From the looks of things, they were just going to forget about it and move forward, and he was more than okay with that. 

Buck looked up and squinted from the sun. Tilting his head in thought, he replied, “Probably two or three blocks to the bus then about a ten-minute ride.” 

“Sounds good,” Eddie said while starting off in the direction that Buck had looked. Buck expected the man to say something once their shoulders bumped into each other, but there was just silence. They stayed quiet during the length of the first block and that terrified Buck. He wondered what was going on inside Eddie’s head. He was probably freaked out that the bartender was an accidental peeping tom, but Buck tried not to think about it too much. Maybe he was tired from the night before, or maybe he just-

“So, Salvador,” Eddie interrupted. His line of sight was glued forward but his smirk was visible from his profile. Before Buck could ask what that meant, Eddie added with a teasing tone, “What brought Evan Buckley to Salvador?” 

Buck rolled his eyes when he realized what he was doing. 

“Nothing brought me here.”

“Oh, so you were running from something.” 

“What? No, I-” Buck stammered. He felt like Eddie was cornering him, and not in a good way.

“What was it? Crazy ex? Under the table job gone wrong?”

Buck was close to whacking the guy for always knowing how to get under his skin. Begrudgingly, he said, “It’s personal.” 

Eddie snorted. “You want to talk about personal? Who was the one watching me in the bathroom?” 

Shit. 

Of course, he would bring it up. Buck felt stupid for ever thinking they would ignore it. His fingers curved in as his nails dug against the heel of his palm. His heart rate began to quicken yet his walking pace slowed down. 

“Eddie, I am  _ so  _ sorry,” The blonde murmured once he decreased his steps to a complete stop. Eddie turned around with a perplexed expression. 

“For what?” 

“For what?” Buck repeated in shock. “In the bathroom this morning, I didn’t mean to. I-I was just surprised, that’s all. I didn’t expect to see… all of that.” Sure, he expected to see his friend in the shower and yes, he knew he was going to be naked, but Buck never would have thought Eddie would be pleasuring himself in his bathroom. It was weird, but not as weird as silently watching it through a cracked door. 

Buck’s racing mind was louder than the world around him. All he received from Eddie was silence as he slowly walked towards him, never breaking the intense eye contact. Buck almost passed out from the sudden shift in mood. He would have been buckling down with guilt if his body was stuck with tension. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Eddie said once he was close enough to drop his volume to a husky whisper. Buck swallowed the lump in this throat and looked at him through his eyelashes. A familiar, malicious grin spread across the brunet’s cheeks, only inches away from Buck’s own mouth. “Just tell me why you came here and I’ll let you off the hook.” 

“My family,” Buck said without hesitation. The mix of culpability and apprehension had practically put him under a spell that only Eddie could control. 

“What about your family?” To Buck’s surprise, Eddie glanced down to his lips for a beat then back up with the same amount of animal instinct within them. Buck prayed to whoever was listening that the man couldn’t hear his racing pulse or sense the warmth that was traveling beyond his hips. 

“I had some issues with my parents. My sister moved out with her husband and I couldn’t be there alone, so I came down here.” 

“Now, why was that so hard?” Eddie said teasingly as he began to turn back around. Buck was about to finally let go of his breath, but the world abruptly stopped spinning when he felt Eddie’s hand graze the center of his shorts. It was a small touch yet somehow enough to make the blonde rock hard. He couldn’t tell if it was on purpose or not. He could never tell with him. The only thing that he knew for sure was that Eddie loved to make him a plaything. 

__

“Aprons are in the back, boys!” Bobby called out from behind the register the second the two men walked through the door of the bakery, causing the little bell to ring. It was a small building in contrast to the large crowd inside. The business was themed as a fire station. Croissants shaped as flames, donuts that looked like firemen hats, even the aprons resembled the jackets the teams would wear when going into their job. 

“Someone’s a little obsessed with the whole fireman thing,” Eddie mumbled under his breath when Buck handed him his apron in the kitchen. He wasn’t wrong, the place even had a pole in the center that the kids loved to play on. 

“Bobby always said he would be the captain of a fire station in another life,” Buck laughed. As if on cue, the owner walked up behind them. 

“Bobby Nash,” He introduced himself as he shook the brunet’s hand. 

“Diaz, sir. Eddie Diaz.” 

“Well, Eddie, it seems you’ve fallen in with the wrong crowd already,” Bobby teased as he tousled Buck’s hair, causing him to slap his arm away in embarrassment. Eddie cracked a smile. 

“I don’t know, sir, Buck’s been a pretty good tour guide.” A flicker of desire showed in Eddie’s eyes for a beat before he added, “He’s definitely been a  _ handful _ , though. Always watching me to make sure things don’t get too _climactic_.” 

Buck choked. 

“Anyways,” He interrupted before Eddie could flat out say he watched him masturbate. “We’ll go get started on the donuts. Anything else you need us to do while we’re here?” 

“Not that I can think of. Don’t have too much fun,” Bobby smiled and popped an eyebrow at Buck, who returned the motion with an exasperated eye roll. Practically everyone in the town thought the two were sleeping together and it was driving the blonde bartender mad. Still, he kept his reaction hidden from Eddie and hoped he didn’t notice. 

Once Bobby left, Buck turned to face his counterpart with a handful of measuring cups. 

“You’re going to make the batter for the donuts while I ice them,” He instructed while handing Eddie half of the cups. Eddie scoffed. 

“What if  _ I _ wanted to do the icing?” 

“You don’t get to do the icing,” Buck shot back without a moment of hesitation. 

“Why not?” Eddie asked. 

“Because I said so.” 

“Why did you say so?” 

“Fucking Christ, Eddie, are you four years old? Do the batter,” Buck snapped with frustration. Eddie burst out into a fit of laughter, having to hold on to the edge of the silver countertop for balance. His tan face was nearly purple from the lack of oxygen and tears were slowly moving down the indentation from his laugh lines. 

“I’m just messing with you,” Eddie finally said. After seeing Buck’s tired face, he added sincerely, “You’re in charge, Buckley.” 

“Damn right I am.” Buck let a small smile creep out before heading over to the icing station. The two worked well for what felt like hours. Eddie manned the batter, mixing all of the ingredients together and pouring the final product into the donut machine. It was going fine until Buck felt a pair of eyes looming over his shoulder. 

“What’re you doing?” He asked quietly, suddenly growing flustered again. He kept his eyes on the station where he was currently making little siren lights around the donut. 

“Watching you,” Eddie replied. “You’re really good with your hands.” 

Buck had had enough of the small, teasing comments. He felt like if he let it continue, they would pile on top of him until he couldn’t breathe. To solve his issue and put Eddie back in his place, he quickly turned around and smeared red icing on his cheek. With a satisfied smile, he said, 

“There’s a thing called personal space.” 

Eddie stood there for a second, surprised that Buck had finally reacted. He was used to the blonde shifting nervously under his words. In all honesty, he thought the reaction was fairly attractive. The stunned expression on his face turned into a smirk. 

“Oh, yeah? How about this for personal space?” Eddie grabbed a handful of blue icing and placed it on Buck’s forehead. 

“What- Eddie!” Buck said loudly, a full laugh climbing up his throat. After wiping it off, he used the same hand to throw it back at his assailants chest. 

They went back and forth until they were covered head to toe with colorful icing and random bouts of batter. Their deafening laughs consistently filled the room, along with the occasional slew of curse words and flirty remarks. 

“You’re such a…” Eddie breathed, his stamina reaching the end of its limit. He stood only a few inches away from Buck as his chest heaved up and down. 

“Such a what?” Buck bit back another chuckle. 

“Such an idiot.” Eddie’s lips pulled into a soft smile and the atmosphere around them slowed down. He reached out and carefully wiped some batter that was on the corner of Buck’s mouth, allowing his thumb to linger for longer than it should have. Buck was glad his cheeks were iced white or else Eddie would’ve seen him furiously blushing. He looked up at the man, who seemed to be in some sort of a trance. 

“Hey, Buck, I need to tell you something,” Eddie whispered while leaning in closer. Buck nodded slowly. 

“Buck! I got us- Whoa,” A voice called out from the other side of the room. The two men jumped away from each other. Eddie looked down at his now-rainbow shoes and Buck stared wide eyed at the man who interrupted. 

“Chimney,  _ please _ don’t tell Bobby.” 


End file.
